Technocrat-turned-politician Mukhisa Kituyi believes that President William Ruto lacks the moral authority to lecture legislators over corruption, claiming he is the top perpetrator.

This comes after President Ruto cautioned MPs and Senators against soliciting bribes in House committees, sentiments that have brought him heapless censures.

According to Kituyi, President Ruto is the chief conduit for handling graft-linked money and should not lecture his juniors for doing the same.

“Who is he to cast the first stone? The source of the money that is bribing people comes from him. The principal collector of stolen money in Kenya is Ruto,” he said on Citizen TV.

Kituyi further claimed that President Ruto has been blinded by power, making unfiltered statements despite considering possible ramifications.

“Ruto has gained a sense of arrogance over institutions and persons that he thinks he can say what comes to his head without considering the consequences,” he noted.

“Parliamentarians have been shocked by the mendacity of a president who has been dependent on their support and using them as a vessel to purchase the voters through the empowerment programme. Their surprise is that the sponsor of the largesse is turning against his own.”

This comes on the heels of demands from Senators to have Speakers Amason Kingi (Senate) and Moses Wetang’ula (National Assembly) summon President Ruto to defend his allegations.

During Tuesday’s plenary, Members of the Senate Public Accounts Committee, fingered Kingi and Wetang’ula for remaining mum while Parliament as an institution is being disparaged.

“We want the President to come and explain who are those demanding bribes. You can’t try Parliament in a kangaroo court when statutes have provisions to deal with unethical conduct by MPs, and we challenge our Speakers to convene the necessary committee to listen to the President,” demanded Committee chair Moses Kajwang.

“I am putting the leadership of the House on notice, the Speaker must defend the institution of Parliament; he is our leader. The Majority and Minority leaders must defend the House, they should not just go there to make jokes about a position of welfare chairman,” added Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.

President Ruto has vowed harsh action against those behind the soko huru scheme, where members of parliamentary committees allegedly solicit bribes while summoning governors and other top government leaders.